Submission
by Littlebitofprocrastination
Summary: The sudden realisation dawned on him, that he would have to give himself up completely to save those he loves. BillDip! Submission & sadomasochism later on. Set before the season finale, but teenage Dipper. Terrible summary as per the usual. Don't like, don't read! Enjoy!
1. The chapter of little plot development

This is my first Gravity Falls story! I hope you guys like it!  
It's going to be 100% Bill x Dipper up in here, so you know, don't like, don't read.  
Maybe later on they'll be getting a little freaky, no, scratch that. It's pretty goddamn likely they'll be getting freaky, sooooooo there's that. Enjoy!

* * *

The sound of a twig snapping echoed in the forest, yet again, and Dipper silently scolded himself for not being more careful.

He'd never find that rare beast if he couldn't keep quiet!

The boy halted in his tracks and took a deep breath, attempting to still himself completely for a second before he continued. He listened to the forest around him, the sounds of birds, the wind rustling the branches of the trees, and, you know, other forest sounds.

He breathed out and relaxed, hoping maybe now he could keep down the volume and not step on any more goddamn twigs. He lifted his foot to continue on his hike, but just as he was about to place it on the ground below, there it was again.

 **SNAP**

Dipper froze. This time, he knew that had definitely not been him. He looked down to his foot, which was still rather obviously in mid-air and certainly NOT near any twigs. He placed it softly and then whipped his head around, his eyes scanning the spaces between the trees and the shrubbery below him. He knew of all (okay, most) of the living creatures this forest had to offer and he was not willing to bump into any of the many were dangerous.

He continued to look around him, but on spotting nothing, assumed it had been a one off and proceeded carefully (and undeniably more quickly) upon his way. Though, he couldn't stop himself from taking a final glance around him before he left; that crawling feeling he felt upon his back was just too overpowering...

Later that day, (Finally no longer feeling creepified from his experience in the forest) Dipper sat on his bed in the room he shared with his sister. He leaned his back against the wall of the attic, with the journal propped up on his knees, like a bookstand, idly chewing on a pencil as his mind wandered onto where that beast might be.

After his unsuccessful search earlier in what was supposed to have been its habitat around this time of year, he felt rather down. Even though he couldn't pronounce the name of the thing, the sketchy image of it within the journal intrigued him, the lack of information provided on it only making him more determined to track it down.

Just as he was about to begin re-evaluating whether he'd gotten the location wrong, the sound of a thumping up the stairs broke his concentration and he looked up just to see his twin sister bound into the room at full force, flinging the door open and albeit catapulting herself onto the covers of her brother's bed.

"Brohm-Mo!"

Her usually greeting of 'Bro-Bro' became rather muffled by the bed sheets she'd now stuffed her face in and Dipper rolled his eyes at her antics.

"Come on, Mabel. I told you I was trying to figure this one out. What do you want now?"

Although he was complaining as a result of the disturbance, the small smile on his lips and his light-hearted tone made it clear that he appreciated the break from the work. Mabel lifted her head from the bed, quickly settling herself into a crossed-legged position next to her brother, her oversized, pink sweater billowing over her knees as she held her feet each with the alternate hand and rocked distractingly back and forth as she spoke.

"We're playing board games downstairs and I just roped the others all into twister!"  
She grinned, her braces only making her smile look brighter.

"You have to come down and join in too! Please~?"

It was clear from the consistency of the pleased expression on her face that Mabel already knew her brother would be following her downstairs, and despite his small grumble at that particular game choice, he let her drag him down the stairs easily; the two tawny-haired twins bouncing into the living room to join in with the festivities wholeheartedly. Even with the inclusion of the extra guest watching from the window...

* * *

Okay so, fairly short. It was the first one, gimme a break! Next time I'll actually plan and get some more story in there, I promise.  
Favourite and follow and review and all that if you want more though! :)


	2. The chapter of Dipper trippin

Yay~! Chapter 2!  
So, I guess I'm uploading a chapter weekly, every Wednesday.  
Thanks for all of the views, favourites and follows on the first chapter. Wasn't expecting that many to be honest. I tried to make more plot happen this time, but somehow **still** didn't get as far into the story as I would've liked.

Oh well, hope you enjoy anyway!

Oh and, a sidenote, sorry for the reupload. I have **no idea** what happened with this document the first time, but fingers crossed it won't happen again.

* * *

Dipper limply let himself fall down onto his bed, exhausted. When Mabel called you to play a game (even if it was only twister) you can bet that you'll end up tired out by the end of it. He closed his eyes and attempted to catch his breath after running up the stairs, away from that group of girls who were insistent in their efforts to get him to keep playing. The cold sheets contrasted greatly to the heat he felt in his face after the strenuous activity, and he was grateful for it.

The sound of his own laboured breathing was all he could hear as he continued to lay on top of the covers, until… there! The bang of the front door downstairs, a sign that Mabel was seeing Candy and Grenda home, so he no longer had to worry about being pulled back into activities and at least had a bit of time to settle down before Mabel would get back.

The young mystery-solver got up from the bed, his limbs still aching, and began to get ready for sleep. He lifted his shirt up over his head, shivering at the sudden cold air that attacked his chest, and opened the chest of drawers to get out his pyjamas.

Just as he began to put them on, he felt it again. That crawling feeling of being watched, of eyes trained on him with an intense stare, just as he'd felt earlier that day in the forest. His hairs stood on end and he quickly put on the clothing he held, not much a fan of being watched while getting changed, and looked around the room. The light from his bedside lamp illuminated his surroundings, but as he looked to the window, the sudden darkness outside sent shivers down his spine.

He squinted, but could make out nothing beyond the shadows of the trees. So, eager to avoid the whole 'being watched' sensation, he hastily pulled his curtains shut tight and climbed into bed; covering himself with the duvet head to toe and closing his eyes shut.

* * *

Despite the creepiness he'd experienced before bed, Dipper's fatigued state allowed him to fall into dreams rather easily. Only making it all the more trouble-free for a window to abnormally be opened, and a rather peculiar and unnoticed breeze to blow those tightly shut curtains open again.

The boy's (technically a teen!) thin frame, in his short summer pyjama set, unconsciously curled up beneath the blankets for warmth in response to the unwelcome draught. His body shivered, his mind unaware of the unnatural shadow creeping in from the now open window.

The dark, human-shaped shadow seemed to slide over the floor, in spite of the lack of light to cause it. It neared the occupied bed, looming over the sleeping figure as if to relish in the fact the boy had no knowledge of its presence.

That was until the sound of footsteps began to echo up the stairs, the door handle beginning to turn, it seemed within seconds the shadow had vanished, swirled like a whirlpool into the sweet, little, sleeping Dipper's head.

When Mabel stepped into the attic, the snoozing body of her brother appeared completely undisturbed.

* * *

Dipper opened his eyes with a start, sitting up and looking around his room in fright. His eyes were wide and his body was in a cold sweat. No. This didn't feel right. There was something here, something was wrong. There **had** to be.

He swung his legs over the side of his bed, his bare feet hitting the cold wooden floor as he reached for his phone to light up his path with the torch. His hair was a tousled mess after his short sleep, which had mostly involved him uncomfortably tossing and turning in the covers.

Walking past his sister's bed, he made his way to the stairs and down to the first floor of the shack, hoping a glass of water might calm his nerves so he could get back to sleep. That presence was still here, he felt it. It was if there was always someone over his shoulder, watching…

He glanced behind him, but on seeing nothing there, cursed under his breath and continued to the kitchen. He hated himself for feeling so paranoid, he wasn't going mad, but there wasn't anything there. He… He probably just needed some more rest… These late nights weren't good for him…

As he got to the sink, he picked up a glass off of the drainer and held it beneath the tap, turning the handle. Of course, he expected the water to run, but it didn't. He frowned, fiddling with the tap a little to try to get it to produce something, but there was just, nothing… No response.

He sighed and headed to the fridge for something instead. Hoping there was something drinkable in there and Mabel hadn't decided to use all the juice in the house for one of her concoctions again, but on his way there, he just so happened to glance to the window.

His breath caught in his throat. Outside… There was nothing… Just… stars…

He couldn't help himself, could anyone have resisted the urge to go take a look? He sprinted for the door, throwing it open, running over the porch and outside. His feet stopping in the small patch of dirt in front of the shack, for he couldn't take another step.

The world just. Ended.

Dipper's mouth was open in shock and he stumbled back, looking up and around to take in the sight. Surrounding the shack, on all sides, was an endless expanse of space.

How was he expected to respond to that?

* * *

So, watcha think?

Not going to lie, I had trouble with the line feauture. If there aren't lines between sections, well, I left big gaps so **hopefully** that's enough.

Pleaseeee favourite, follow and review if you enjoyed! I love hearing feedback!

And last but not least, thank you to the reviewer of the last chapter, Noiz SeraGAYki, for the high praise. I appreciate it! :) and your username is great, by the way.

See you guys next week!


	3. The chapter where a hand is the protag

Okay, hi again!

Going to write this intro super fast so I can publish the story quick, so you guys can read it!

Firstly, sorry it's late! I would use exams as an excuse, but I am honestly really bloody lazy so if you want me to update on time, feel free to message me or something to get off my butt and do it!

cough cough reviews would be a good motivator cough cough

Thanks again to Noiz for reviewing the last chapter and being such a sweetheart! :)

Oh and one last note, remember how Dipper's after this 'creature' and my excuse for not coming up with a name was that it was too hard to say? WELL... it's going to be mentioned more than I thought so I do actually need a name for it. I'd be super grateful if any of you guys would offer your ideas for what it could be called! Bear in mind that it's basically Bill. I won't say why, because that would give spoilers, but it is! So maybe a name that kind of means Bill Cipher? I don't know. Help me out please~!

That's all! You can go ahead and read now! Enjoy!

* * *

Dipper looked out across the brink of the world, tentatively shuffling to the edge of the mass of land and peeking over the side, seeing only more space beneath. He noticed his legs shaking and suddenly, the very real fear of falling into that endless pit below became apparent. He began to move backward, not even lifting his feet from the ground for fear that he'd somehow topple over, but then, a solid object between his shoulder-blades blocked his path.

That… That wasn't there before, that was warm, that was alive, that was-

But his thoughts were interrupted as the hand at his back made the tiniest movement against him and his feet lost their grip, sending the boy tumbling. As he turned around at the last second, his eyes caught a glimpse of a figure, a golden-suited arm, a black, gloved hand, still held out over the side of the cliff in the position that it had pushed him.

That hand… That assertive, strong hand… This was the last thing the boy would see before the panic set in and he plunged down into nothingness. That hand… imprinted into his mind…

* * *

The world slipped by…

Dipper felt the weight of the universe rushing past him as he plummeted through the blackness of space. Stars all around him, and yet, they always seemed to be out of reach.

Eventually, he'd stopped screaming and began to look around. He'd realised there wasn't a floor at the bottom of this place (or at least not yet) so for now it seemed like he could relax a little and take advantage of the thinking time he had.

Well, first of all, WHAT THE HECK?! Why was the shack in space? WHO HAD PUSHED HIM?! NOTHING MADE ANY SENSE! And yet the memory seemed fuzzy despite the fact it was barely seconds ago… Minutes, hours? How long had he been falling? The only clear thought that remained in his head… the only sharp image left on a background of blur and haze was… was… that hand…

Even if he'd wanted to, he knew he'd never forget it, that strong memory would stay put. Even after he finally hit the ground.

* * *

Pain pulsed through his body, his arms clearly had taken the brunt of the fall. Fear gripped his mind and Dipper thrashed around on the floor, pushing whatever was on him, off, finally getting a view of his surroundings and a glimpse of the world to see…

His room?

What?! It was all a dream?!

The boy untangled the blanket from his legs and stood quickly to find he'd simply fallen out of his bed onto the wooden floor of the attic. Okay, maybe he'd been just a little dramatic about the pain, but that dream… it had all felt so real… The shack was so life-like, he truly felt in control of every action he'd made, and… that hand… that palm flat against his back…

He felt a shiver run through him at the memory… No, the dream. He knew he'd have to keep reminding himself that it wasn't real, that it hadn't actually happened, but he'd never experienced anything like it…

Then, it clicked.

This had to do with the creature, with being watched, it was all that thing!

Dipper gritted his teeth in determination, flung his clothes on as quickly as he could, grabbed the journal from his nightstand and headed for the stairs. Right after he'd eaten breakfast he'd get on this. He _had_ to find out what was going on.

In his rush, he failed to notice the changes from the night before, running past the open window and curtains and sprinting to the lower floor and to the kitchen.

* * *

The brown-eyed boy sat at the breakfast table. His eyebrows knitted in concentration and his spoon gripped tightly in his hand. His mind was racing with the possibilities.

Was the creature really the cause of his bizarre dream?

Had it really been watching him this entire time?

How would it have followed him home in the first place without him seeing it?

How did all these things link together?!

" _Dipper_!"

Dipper looked up at the sound of his name, Mabel looking back at him with a concerned expression.

"You've been staring into your cereal for ages, whatcha thinkin' about?"

The slightly shorter twin opened his mouth to speak, but paused. Should he tell Mabel about all this? If this creature really could get into his head like that, effect his dreams… This could be dangerous… and Mabel, with her light-hearted approach to everything. If something went wrong… If this thing started messing with _her_ dreams.

No. He'd made up his mind. Until he knew more about this, he would not involve Mabel. He smiled at her in reassurance before he eventually responded.

"Nothing important, just had a bit of weird dream, that's all. Trying to remember it all."

It wasn't _technically_ a lie. He _had_ had a weird dream and it _was_ difficult to remember a lot of it. He remembered the shack and stepping out and then… it all seemed to get a little lost… All he knew was that he'd fallen, and it all came back to that hand…

"Oh, okay! I always have craaaaazy dreams. You should write it down as soon as you wake up! That always helps me remember"

The majority of her response was unheard by her brother, who was once again adrift in the ocean of his own thoughts, but he came back to reality just in time to hear her suggestion.

"You mean like a dream diary? That's not a bad idea. I'll try it! Thanks, Mabel!"

Mabel smiled at the fact her brother had took note of what she'd said and Dipper immediately went back into his own head. Planning the steps he'd take to get closer to whatever was messing with his mind…


	4. The chapter of gunk

Hey~!

It's been a while, right? Lots of exams extra, plus my username has the word 'procrastination' in it. You signed up for this!

Thanks for the suggestions and reviews though, I ended up going with a basic cipher for Bill's name in the journal, makes it easier to write into the story later on. I am also flattered by the kind compliments :3  
I'm not 100% certain on Dipper's age, in all honesty. Probably somewhere between 17 and 19.

Oh, and to make up for being so late? Double chapter! Over 2000 words for my wonderful followers. You are welcome. Plus, the next chapter is already almost finished so it certainly won't be late. Probably...

Without further a do, enjoy!

* * *

Okay.  
This was it.  
Dipper was determined to find the meaning behind this.  
If his dream really had been to do with that weird creature, this could be massive! He had to figure it out...

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, Dipper lay out the journal in front of him, flicking through the pages until, there! He recognised the illustration right away. It was one of the creepier and more sinister drawings in the journal after all... If you could even call it that... The pencil image was so scribbled and rough it could hardly be classed as a drawing. It was as if the artist was rushed to get the creature's likeness on paper before it escaped them... Or they lost it completely...

Dipper pulled his eyes away from the haunting image long enough to cast them at the little information that covered the rest of the page, the name of the creature written in scrawly handwriting at the top. Now he was looking at it more, it wasn't that hard to pronounce, but the words were still a lot more complicated than any of the other names in the book. 'Eloo Flskhu' wasn't exactly simple.

He repeated the words to himself out loud, experimenting with how it sounded in his mouth.

"Eloo Flskhu. Eloo Flskhu..."  
He didn't even know if he was saying it right, but it was a start. He could always think of a nickname for it later.

On top of that, the only information given was 'DO NOT SUMMON AT ALL COSTS' and the scribbled map of where this thing could be found. The information that was there a mystery, the location seemed completely random, and the 'DO NOT SUMMON AT ALL COSTS'? What the heck did that mean?  
It's not like he even had to summon it, it was just in the woods! The book said so itself!

Dipper groaned in frustration, shutting the book and putting his head in his hands. It looked like he'd have to go in blind.  
 _Again_.  
He sighed heavily, before putting the journal in his backpack, which lay at the side of the bed, and pulling the straps around his shoulders. He shuffled until the weight settled comfortably on his back, then set off. His hands clutching the straps that lay at his chest as if they were his one safe lifeline out of the weirdness and back to reality.

He strode off down the stairs, a small jump in his step. Despite his earlier frustration, he could never deny the exhilaration of going off into the unknown for the sake of discovery.  
He walked past the living room, where Mabel sat with Waddles, watching one of her many colourful high-school boy shows on TV. She picked her head up as his figure passed the archway, calling out in encouragement. The little snort from her pig companion almost joining in.

"Good luck, Bro!"  
"Thanks Mabel, Bye!"

Her "C ya!" response was cut off at the doorway as Dipper shut it behind him. A bright grin now adorning his face and his chest puffed up in anticipation and enthusiasm for what was to come. He may find nothing again, but hey! You never know!  
His mind swam with thoughts of what he may discover as his feet left the front porch and his outline merged with that of the dense East-American forest.

* * *

The young adventurer panted heavily, leaning his hands on his knees, his body doubled over from the effort of forcing himself through the woodland.  
Surely it wasn't this difficult to get here last time, was it?

He gritted his teeth and pressed on, despite the droplets of sweat glistening on his forehead as a result of the blistering heat and the ridiculous amount of effort he was exerting during the hike.  
Despite his enthusiasm, it was barely another minute before Dipper felt his legs weaken once again and was forced to stop, his knees shaking and his breathing laboured.

None of this looked like it did the other day! Everything looked different. He'd always thought he knew the wood like the back of his hand but this place was like a vacuum, a labyrinthian.  
It all looked the same! How was he not there yet?!

"Eeek!"

Dipper let out a girlish scream, reeling his hand back suddenly from the trunk of the tree that he'd leant on for support.  
It was covered in... Muck.

He scrunched up his nose in disgust, analysing the thick, black gunk that now covered the palm of his hand as a result of him being a little too trusting of his surroundings.  
"Bleh..."

He leant down to the forest floor, wiping the gross liquid on an idle shrub, before glancing around him to see if there was anyone nearby. It was unlikely, of course, but after committing such an embarrassing act... It was almost as if he could hear the laughter of passers-by... Mocking him... Echoing... His old school days all over again…

…

Wait a gosh-darn minute.  
His eyes went wide. He could hear it! There was no way he could imagine laughter that vivid. It wasn't messed up or abstract like a thought. It was clear, it was there! The consistency of that obscure, high-pitched chuckle... It was as if they were right on top of him!

He glanced up into the trees. The empty branches mocking him just as much as the laughter.

Okay, no, they weren't actually right on top of him, but it certainly sounded like it... Or did. Dipper couldn't help but notice the laughter fade and eventually stop completely, almost as it knew it had been found out.  
He grumbled as he looked around at his surroundings, but was unable to make out anything beyond the trees.

"Come out! I know you're there!"

Silence. No response.

The teen allowed a frustrated "Urgh" to emerge from his lips. That was definitely real. No way could something so realistic be his imagination.  
He huffed, pulling his backpack more comfortably onto his shoulders before setting off again.  
At a regular pace, at first, before he began to jog, then sprint. The forest rushing past him in a blur as he tried to lose his pursuer.

He told himself he wasn't scared.  
He wasn't! He was just trying to lose this weirdo.  
That was all.

He repeated this thought to himself over and over, all the time the laughter still echoing in his mind. Bouncing off the walls of his skull like a beach ball. His head thumping like an ache with every hit.

Eventually, he was forced to halt.

He collapsed to his knees, the laugh finally beginning to subside again as he stopped. His eyes were fuzzy from all that running, his lungs feeling as if they would give up.  
God, he felt like he was going to be sick.

He leant onto his arms in front of him, his hands gripping the ground as he took deep breaths. Relaxing himself.  
Slowly... Slowly... Had he lost it? Jeez, he didn't know, but he had to stop running. This was taxing, even to him.

Dipper opened his eyes, his breathing beginning to return to normal, despite his body aching like hell from the experience. His limbs heavy. He blinked a few times, his vision clearing as he stared at the ground beneath, shaded black by the shadow of his exhausted body arched over it, but... Even shade doesn't make the colour green that black...

Fuck.

He staggered backwards, his heart beating fast as he clambered to move away, his back eventually hitting the bark of a tree behind him. All across the floor, the grass. It was _everywhere_. That black. Like a blanket of tar over all the green, blocking any colour from getting to the sun.

He jumped up from his spot, fast. Even the tree behind him was covered in it. It was all over his clothes, on his skin. The back of his shirt matted in the stuff. Sticky, revolting, black gunk.  
He moved to cover his mouth to hold himself back from gagging, but it was all over his hands too. Embedded into his fingernails, as if this could get any worse.

He could feel himself in a panic, what was all this? Was this the place where the Eloo 'whatever the hell it was called' was? He breathed deeply, trying to slow the beat of his heart to a normal pace, before looking around himself. This time with a little more forced calm.

This... Stuff... It seemed like it covered the trees for miles. There was no way he'd been running in it for all that long, he knew he hadn't been paying much attention, but it wasn't _that_ far.

The auburn-headed lad began to walk again, his arms hung at his sides, not too eager to get more of this stuff on the straps of his bag. He'd love to check the map in the journal, but, well... He wasn't exactly for sticking all the pages together.  
He sighed, beginning to trek through the trees once again, but actually attempting to stay within the black area.  
If he was going to find this thing, it was now and it was here.

He kept his guard up, no more running or freaking out. He was in the Eloo's habitat and he had it! Now or never!

He stopped and stood sternly, his fists balled up with determination and resolve. All the woods here looked the same, this creature clearly knew them and Dipper certainly didn't. He knew it was near. If he was going to find it, communication wasn't a bad idea.  
He took a deep breath and called out into the surrounding woods, his voice commanding and the sharp sound bouncing off the trees. He tried his best to sound intimidating, but Mabel would have teased him for the slight crack in his voice if she'd been there.  
"Show yourself! I know you're here!"

No response.

What was with this thing? It laughed in his ear, kept up with him through the chase, but now it was completely silent?!  
He gritted his teeth before shouting again, his growing frustration evident in his tone.

"Come out, you coward! Is that all you're planning to do? Laugh from the shadows?!"

Okay, well, this time he really did expect to provoke a response, but again, got none.  
Was this thing gone? Really?  
For once the thought came to Dipper's mind that he may have genuinely lost the creature in the chase. He grinned for a second in triumph, before he realised that wasn't actually so good, he may have lost his one chance along with it!

The joy quickly faded from his features and he slumped to the ground, perching on a sideways log, not caring either way about the sludge anymore, he was already covered in it anyways...  
The teen let out a breathy sigh in response to the unlucky investigation. He'd been unable to get any more information at all. He'd barely made any progress. Sure, he may be in its habitat, he may have heard it, but how would he know that these things were actually connected to the creature unless he saw it with his own eyes?

He put his head in his hands, consumed with both annoyance at his lack of success and self-pity as a result of all the trouble he'd been through yielding little product. His eyes drifted closed as he pressed his face into his palms. These emotions continuing to buzz in his head, but the exhaustion of today's efforts catching up with him. His figure gradually slumped further, his elbows leaning on his knees and his body leaning upon his upturned palms as his mind began to calm, only encouraging the sleep that was to come.

He knew he shouldn't, but he was so tired, physically and emotionally, and he certainly didn't feel eager or enthusiastic for more after this failure of a mission.  
Maybe he slumped too far forward, maybe his body slipped onto the grimy forest floor, but he really didn't care. By this time, he was already heading straight for sleepy-time junction, and that amused, high-pitched voice only beckoned him further into an unnaturally, deep sleep...

* * *

Yay ^^

Hope you enjoyed!

If you want more follow, favourite, review, all that jazz. I very much appreciate the motivation. :)

This American site just completely shits on all my English spellings though, it's super mean...

But anyway... Thanks for reading! I'll see you next week, I swear! ;)


	5. The chapter where the bae appears

It's on time!  
I shall proceed to celebrate.

*(Proceeds to do a little dance)*

But anyway, yay deadlines! I actually had a lot of work to do today and I put it off to make sure I had this done, how nice am I?  
Thank you again for the review last chapter, if you've seen the chapter title then you'll already know that you were right ;)

Enjoy, all!

* * *

Dipper picked himself up from the rather awkward position he seemed to have fallen into. A little while ago that nap had seemed so inviting... But now, getting up from the forest floor, covered in slime? Not so much... Fortunately this stuff didn't seem to have much of a scent, but still...

He shook his hands, flicking off the black gunk like a dog shaking off water. This? This had been a bad idea. Why in the world had he been so eager to sleep that he'd surrender himself to this mess?

He sighed, and deciding that he was getting nowhere with the goo-removal, settled with the little progress he'd made already and looked around to take in his surroundings. Things hadn't exactly changed much since he'd been asleep, but it was always good to be observant.

The first thought to pop into his head was 'Woah! How long have I been asleep?'. It's not like it was in the middle of the night, but the sun had certainly sunk in the sky, an orange hue dominating the previous blue.

The boy grumbled to himself, he'd barely found out anything all day. He'd ran like a wimp, lost the target and wasted half of his time by sleeping! Why were his investigations so fruitless lately? Was he losing his touch?

He sighed again, this time, the escaping breath lasted longer than before. He'd failed. He gave up a moment to acknowledge this, before shaking his head and standing up straight again.

No more slouching!  
No more moping!  
What would Mabel say?  
There was always tomorrow!

With that small boost to his enthusiasm, for now, he began the walk back to the shack, the forest seeming much gloomier than before. With the sun going down and the amount of light greatly lessened, plus all the black on the trees (and everything else), it felt as if he was walking through space. The feeling only increased by the beginnings of stars appearing in the sky, as well as the light shadow of the moon.

It seemed the further he walked from the forest, the more the environment became a blank copy of the universe.

He paused.

Oh no... Not this again...

Dipper moved into a run as fast as he could, sprinting in search of the edge of the forest. He quickly broke out from the trees, panting, but the energy to look up still remained.

There it was.

The shack, surrounded by a humongous galaxy, just as it was last night. When he turned, the forest engrossed his vision, but where it didn't, stars were there to fill in the gaps.

It was as if this world was incomplete...

Dipper looked down to his muddy shoes, the edges of the gravel path he stood upon crumbled away as it neared the shack and left the forest, the ground eventually becoming nothing but a thin line, acting as a precarious bridge between the two destinations.

This was just another weird dream, right? Probably bought on by that creature again, but...if it was... How did he wake up?

The boy peered over the precipice, a sheer drop that lead into what seemed like a never-ending black; he couldn't help but be reminded of the substance that still covered him. He shook his head. No... He wouldn't take the risk yet, there was no problem with looking around, was there?

He looked again back to the thin bridge connecting the shack and the forest and, taking a deep breath, he put his arms out to his sides for balance and began to carefully walk across. He could walk regularly at first, but it wasn't long before he was forced to place one foot directly in front of the other with every step. Eyes on his feet. Not looking down. He certainly didn't have the skill of a tight-rope walker, but there'd be no safety net if he fell.

One foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other... Shhhhh-ugar.

Dipper froze, a small tumble of stones falling from the edge of where his right foot lay. He could feel himself shaking, this experience was... Insane. Whether it was real or not, life or a dream, it sure as hell felt that, if he tumbled... He would not be waking up again.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and took a slow, deep breath. Using all his mental capabilities to ignore the chasm below him, he brought his eyes upward and faced forward, determined to continue, only to be confronted with a surprise; one that almost caused him to lose his balance all over again.

In front of him, standing in front of the Shack as if they owned the place, was… something…  
It… It wasn't easy to make out… Somehow the synthetic shadow of the shack, that was cast by the non-existent sun in this place, fell directly over the figure; as if they'd planned it that way themselves.

Either way, the feeling of it's eyes upon him could be felt a mile away...

At first, Dipper squinted, trying to make it out. It was definitely a humanoid figure, taller than him, fairly skinny. He guessed from the sharp shoulders and the outline of a top-hat on the figure's head that it was male, though he could be wrong, he could barely make out anything else.

A second later his question was answered, with words that pierced his thoughts like a knife and brought him back to what stood before him.

"Is it _that_ hard to tear your eyes away?"

Those words, they couldn't possibly have been more smug.

"If you're staring this much now, you'll be swooning by the time I step into the light."

He snapped back to the present, the realisation that he had actually been staring finally hitting him, especially since he'd been doing it for a while too. Well, he'd regarded this thing as a creature all this time, how was he to know that it was more human than anything else?!

And… wait a minute! That voice from the forest! That echoing laughter! It was the same voice!

Screw the staring! That never happened! And that pink tint moving up his cheeks? Pff, what are you talking about?  
Dipper was fully prepared to feign ignorance now that he had some evidence to accuse this mystery man with!

"You've been following me all day, haven't you? Tell me what's going on! What are you up to?!"

Despite the precarious position Dipper still remained in, teetering over the abyss, he still had the bravery to confront whatever had appeared, his teeth gritted with the effort. But, he couldn't help but notice it was getting harder and harder to stay on this thin strip of land…

"You're the Eloo thing, right? Where am I?!"

The boy continued to bombard the other with questions, desperate to get an answer before the ground disappeared beneath him, but was only met with the same mocking laughter in response.

"Aw, still haven't figured that out, Pine tree? I'm surprised! I thought you were the smart type."

"My name's Dipper, and tell me what's happening! I want answers already!"

The frustration of this roundabout investigation was finally getting on the last of Dipper's nerves, the weird thing he'd been called by this creature not exactly helping.

After a short pause, where the sound of Dipper's laboured breathing was all that could be heard, the creature responded once more. That amused, condescending tone never quite leaving his voice as his words seemed to make the universe shake.

"You're cute when you're angry."

The smug chuckle could be heard, even from the shadows. Dipper could almost feel the blood boiling beneath him skin.

"But you're not ready just yet."

Before the frustrated teen could respond any further, there was movement within the darkness, before a black-gloved hand rose into the light, perched in position, and two thin, precise fingers snapped together. The sound echoed indefinitely, and at that moment, the foundations of the world around them began to crumble. The forest gone within seconds, the remainders of the shack falling down into the pit, with the skinny body of the brown-eyed boy soon to follow.

But all that Dipper could think of as he returned to the sea of consciousness that lay beneath him, was what he'd just seen.  
The laugh, the voice, the dreams.  
That gloved hand that had sent him plummeting into the same darkness not so long ago.

All of it.

It had all been _him._

* * *

 _Wooooooo_ hope you enjoyed! :)

Favourite, follow and review if you did! I really enjoy reading them and getting feedback from you guys!  
See you next week!


	6. The chapter of a million eyes

Hi, all! 

Thanks _so_ much for all the new reviewers last chapter, it makes me super pleased that you guys are enjoying my little story! I did consider posting the chapter a day early... but got caught up in work stuff so wasn't able to finish it . I'll post it Tuesday next week though, k?

Just to mention a few things about previous chapters that I forgot to say, there was a Game Grumps reference in the last one (or the one before) somewhere at the end. So if any of you are GG fans, lemme know if you got it! I wanna see if you did :)  
I also sort of unintentionally put lots of symbolic stuff in with the 'Orange (sky) dominating the blue' O.o If you get my drift.  
I also may have unnecessarily used the verb 'surrender' in relation to Dipper...

Ahem.

Oh and I did my research here with the walkie-talkie nicknames, season finale ,y'all!

Anyway~ Let's get into the chapter. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Dipper sat up immediately, gasping for air, droplets of sweat still lingering on his brow. He glanced around, barely able to make anything out in the darkness of the forest that surrounded him, but the cold breeze alerted him to the reality.

He knew it! It _had_ been a dream!

He grinned at that, before realising something else, his face dropping as the thought crossed his mind.  
Wait... What had been a dream?

Frustrated, he tried to calm himself down from the desperate state he now was in. Scratching at the inner walls of his memory to find something, anything! There was the forest, the sky, everything fake... Everything falling apart... And then... There was someone there...

 _Him_.

He smiled as the memory came back to him, all he could remember was a man's presence, but that was enough to make him happy that he'd found the 'creature' he'd been after all along.  
Yet... He still found it difficult to recall... Weirdly, it felt as if he was forgetting the events of the dream every second, as if the fantasy itself was violently pulling the memories away from him, trying to make him forget...

An idea came to the boy and he quickly removed his backpack from his back, unfastening the zip in one quick movement. His hand delved into the newly made opening and he felt around inside the pack, before finally grasping his fingers around a familiar object. His torch.

He turned the light on as soon as he was able, directing the flash into the bag, pulling out a notebook and pen and placing them on the grassy forest floor. Holding the torch in place over the pages of the book with his left hand (something he'd done so many times in the darkness of his own attic bedroom), he jotted down fragmented sentences with his right. Writing down all that he could remember as fast as he could manage, the forest, the way he'd felt so disoriented and lost, the bridge, the drop, the space, the figure of the man...

By the time he was done, his hand ached, the hurried writing on the pages reminding him vaguely of the scribbled drawing in the journal. He searched his mind for any more details, idling looking over his backpack as he did; before it came back to him.

The gunk.

He looked around himself manically, searching for that black stuff that had covered himself and the surrounding trees only a short while before. That had been on him before the dream, hadn't it? His brow furrowed in confusion, now he wasn't even sure what was a dream and what was reality... Was the Eloo Flskhu messing with him that thoroughly?

He sighed, writing a note about the gunk beside everything else, before turning to the front page and quickly sketching in big letters.

 **'Dream Journal'**

He smiled, who knew that Mabel would be so spot on?

Stuffing the book and pen back into the bottom of his backpack, he zipped it closed and pulled it on.

Torch in hand, Dipper tentatively began to make his way back to the shack. Now that he was on the move, it was easy for him to see just how murky it really was. It had already been dark when he'd woken up, now he'd finished writing, it was as if the gloom had finally completed its consumption of the trees. Even with his torch, the light only stretched so far in front of him, the blackness of the night being just as thick as the gunk had been. Maybe even thicker.

Dipper sighed. There was no way he could get back in this. He'd struggled to get here in the first place, how was he to get back home without getting lost when it was so much darker than it had been before?

…It was... scary. Dipper wasn't exactly ready to admit it, but the inky abyss was unrelenting and... He wouldn't exactly call where he was 'safe'.

The young adventurer gulped, the heavy atmosphere starting to get to him. There could be _anything_ hiding in the dark, how could he know? _He couldn't see a thing_. There could be a _million_ eyes staring at him and he'd have _absolutely_ no clue.

He certainly wouldn't doubt it if there was...

Maybe he could call Mabel? He was pretty sure the walkie-talkie was still in his bag... Dipper once again shone the light of the torch into his well-loved rucksack, hurriedly rummaging through its contents before he found the familiar walkie-talkie and pulled it from the pack. Pressing the switch to turn it on without a second thought and holding the red 'speak' button as he chatted into the device.

"Dippidy Dog to Master Mabel? I fell asleep, I need you guys' help to get home! Over."

Bringing the walkie-talkie away from his mouth, he stared at it, waiting for a response, but got nothing. Now… now he was starting to get a little worried. Surviving in the woods at night wasn't impossible or anything, but… with all the weird stuff that had been happening… and considering he was probably still in the creature's probable habitat... He _did not_ want to stick around.

"Mabel! Twin SOS! I need you!"

Despair rung in his voice, was he even getting through? Mabel would have responded by now, he was sure… Heck… Mabel would know it was unlike him to stay out this late, knowing her, she would have sent a search party out already, and maybe they were already on their way…  
Filled with some hope at that thought, he smiled and looked around him, though instantly regretted it as the surrounding darkness brought doubt back into his heart. Had they even noticed he was missing?

He sat down upon a tree stump, shivering a little as the night chill took its toll on him. He was alone, downhearted and completely vulnerable in this place… Trying to wander may only take him further into the more dangerous parts of the forest, what else could he do?

Making a small note to himself, he spoke aloud, if not to another person, then just to give himself confidence in what he would do next.  
"I'll just… wait a little while… until they contact me… I'll just… wait…"

He didn't sound all that confident, even to himself...

{{Ah, so it is that Dipper is waiting within the darkness of the forest, the area around him a hotbed of demonic activity, unbeknownst to the poor lad.  
It is dangerous here, certainly, he's correct about that, but the 'million eyes'? No… He's very wrong there. A million eyes? Who needs a million eyes watching someone? Ha ha, now that is silly.

If you ask me, two is just enough…}}

* * *

And we're done!

ooo~ excitement, what will happen next? 

Favourite, follow and review if you liked. I really do like getting reviews, it's super nice. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to read this...  
Um, less mushy, see you on Tuesday!


End file.
